Iraqi National Journal of Earth Science

Fundamentally, the current study is concerned with the investigation and diagnosing of Ostracoda fossils from the subsurface section of the Hartha Formation (Late Campanian - Early Maastrichtian) from (Ba-8) well at central Iraq. Fifty-nine Ostracoda species belonging to (29) genera/ subgenera from (13) families are diagnosed and classified to their ranks according to the standard systematic paleontology. Whereat (57) species are attributed to species previously described from local and regional studies. Two species are left under open zoological nomenclature basically because of lack of specimens. As a result, the study inferred that the species diagnosed in the Hartha Formation belong to the Late Campanian - Early Maastricht. As These species are very similar in terms of the external appearance and geologic age to the same species that were compared with them and which were previously described in the regions of East, West, and North Africa as well as the Arabian Gulf region.

The biostratigraphy of Tanjero Formation has been investigated within a well-
exposed section at the northern limb of Perat anticline, Bekhme area, Northeastern Iraq.
The studied section consists mainly of marl, marly limestone, and sandstone. The
formation conformably overlies Shiranish Formation (Late Campanian-Maastrichtian)
and it is overlain unconformably by the Kolosh Formation (Paleocene). The samples of
the section under investigation yielded rich and well diversified planktonic foraminiferal
taxa, where 69 planktonic species belonging to 21 genera have been recognized. The
detailed foraminiferal investigation permits the recognition of four well defined zones.
These are from older at the base:
4. Plummerita hantkeninoides Total Range Zone.
3. Pseudoguembelina palpebra Partial Range Zone.
2. Pseudoguembelina hariaensis Interval Zone.
1. Racemiguembelina fructicosa Interval Zone.
The Planktonic zones were correlated with other zonal schemes in- and outside
Iraq. They are considered to be of Late Maastrichtian age.

Eleven ostracode species belonging to eight genera were described and illustrated for the first time from Tanjero Formation (Late Campanian- Maastrichtian) at Diana, North East Iraq, which six species are new: Cytherella suranensis sp. nov.; Cytherella omarians sp. nov.; Bairdia dianaensis sp. nov.; Bythocypris sirwanensis sp. nov.; Bairdoppilata halabijaensis sp. nov. and Limburgina kaniensis sp. nov.:
Cytherella suranensis sp. nov. ; Cytherella omarians sp. nov.; Bairdia dianaensis sp. nov.;Bythocypris sirwanensis sp. nov.; Bairdoppilata halabijaensis sp. nov. and Limburgina kaniensis sp. Nov